Production of ammonia.



i for about m w i o r ii, till illllddl gilfjilma ra ans orrrcn FIREliBIK W. DE JAHLN, OF NEW YORK, N. "2., ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL CHEMICAL coiuranr, or new resin", u. r,

A GBBEOBATIUN Q1? NEW YORK,

ZEROEQUUTION OF AMMGNM ihllldldi.

Ho Drawing.

To all whom may concern 3e it known that I, Fnnonm W. on Jenn,

duction of ammonia and more particularly to a new catalytic agent therefor, its production. and use.

l have discovered that if a gaseous mugture containing nitrogen and hydrogen is suitably passed over a material containing nickel, iron, or molybdenum and sodium or potassium and nitrogen, the nitrogen and hydrogen of the gaseous mixture are united to form ami'nonia.

When nickel, sodium and nitrogen are used as the catalytic agent, such agent 1s preferably preparer by suitably plac ng niche. nitrate on pumice stone, then heating the result to about 550 (1., then treating it with hydrogen at about the same temperature and then treating with metallic sodium and subseimently with dry ammonia gas at a temperature of about C. With a catalytic agent so prepared nitrogen and hydrogen may be caused to combine with the production of ammonia, at a temperature ofabout 500 C. and, a pressure of about 'ZO atmospheres.

in order that my invention maybe clearly understood, it is new set forth the form of a speeiiic example, it being understood limited to the exact materials or proportions thereof nor to the other conditions of the example, since these may be varied without,

departing from my invention.

[ire/hauls Z-Pregmria;/ the 06625621912692" Pumice stone in small pieces is purified by treatment with 'd ochloric acid in the cold or hours, it is then mod to dryne s. (l

washed chlorid one the product 1''? grams of cr st ed nickel nitrate dis solved in the no ni-y quantity of water and the whole evaporated to dryness, being stirred thoroughly during the evaporation; in this way the nickel "nitrate is to be uniformly distributed over the pumice. Elie thus treated pumice is now ignited. to about water until free r Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Joined, i915.

Application filed August 2, 1913. Serial No. 782,6:26

550 C. until fumes are no longer given off and is then heated to about 550 C. in. an atmosphere of hydrogen 'for eight hours or thereabout, 6., until Water is nolonger formed; To ,tlie product when cooled 2Q, grams of metallic sodium are added in in indifiercnt atmosphere such as that 0t hydrogen, the material is heated for the purpose "of meltingthe sodium and the molten metal is uniformly distributed, as by vigorous stirring, over the surfaces of the pumice material. The indifferent gas is. then displaced by anhydrous ammonia vapor or gas and the material is heated to about 450 C. until a practically constant Weight is obtained thereby introducing nitrogen into the catalyzer. The material after being cooled is preserved ready for use in a dryatmosphere of ammonia. The pumice stone acts as a carrier or support for the catalytic agent and may of course be replaced by any other suitable inert and heat resistant materia-hpreierably one which is'either porous or fibrous or both. Instead of the nickel nitrate specified in the example, another nickel containing material capable of yielding metallic nickel with hydrogen may be used and instead of the sodium and the subsequent treatment with ammonia, sodium amid may be used. I have further found that in the above Example I I can use ferric nitrate, or molybdenum chlorid, in place of the nickel nitrate and potassium in'place of the sodium and thus obtain effective catalytic material for the production of ammonia as I given in Example ll herein. It is, of of course that the invention 15 not to be corresponding amount of its equivalent, are

placed in a suitable catalytic chamber for ammonia synthesis and there is passed in contact with such catalyzer a gas current preiierably containing one volume of nitr0- gen for every three volumes of hydrogen. The gasmixture must be suitably purified and must be freed especially from contact poisons in the well-known manner. With the pressure of the gas traversing the chamber Within the range of 80 to 90 atmospheres and the temperature of treatment ap roxi:

mately between 520? C. and 540 (1., have" -succeeded in producing synthetic ammonia to the extent that the ammonia gas leaving the treating chamber constituted 4.5% by volume of the total gas leaving said chamber. The ammonia is removed from the gas discharged from the catalytic chamber in any suitable manner.

I have found that iron and molybdenum are the equivalents of nickel for the purposes of this invention. 7

I claim:

1.;1Tl1e process of producing ammonia which comprises passing a mixture containmg nitrogenand hydrogen over a catalytic agent containing nickel, sodium and nitroen. g 2; The process of producing ammonia which comprises passing a mixture contain- Liaise? 4:. The process of making ammonia which comprises passing a mixture containing nitrogen and hydrogen under a pressure less than 100 atmospheres over a heated catalytic agent containing nickel, sodium and nitrogen. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. I

I FREDRIK W. on JAI IlT.v

Witnesses: p

J. B. F. HERRESHOFF,

BERNHARD'G. Hnssn.

mg nitrogen and hydrogen under pressure. 

